Trunk-lid support



(No Model.)

C. P. HOWELL. TRUNK LID SUPPORT.

Patented Sept. 8, 1885.

N. PETERS. PM10-Lithograph". Wadngian. DJ)1 UNITED STATES PATENT .OEE-ICE..A

CHAELEs P. HOWELL, OE COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

TRUNK-LID SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,038, dated September 8, 1885. Application tiled January 17, 1885. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES P. HOWELL, a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk- Lid Supports, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to an improvement in lid-supports for trunks, boxes, chests, bins, and various other articles which employ hing ed covers.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic bracelsupport, which will lock and hold the lid open, and which, when the lock is released, Will fold up and allow the lid to close, traveling and occupying the space with-A in the lid, being both cheaper and better than previous devices.

Other trunk -lid supports have been employed which travel down into the body of the trunk. These are objectionable, first, because they occupy more space, or else require a partition or a projection inside of the trunk, which is expensive, and without the partition prevent suitable packing of the clothing or materials in the trunk. Devices which project down into the space itself are liable to be caught and injured, besides rendering it difficult to close the lid on account of the projecting arms striking or coming in Contact with the material packed inthe trunk. All of these objections are overcome by my improvement, which will be fully set forth inthe description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of my irnprovement with the trunk-lid raised, the dotted lines showing the position of the lid and brace when closed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the housing or guide. Fig. 8 is a section on line x, Fig. l, showing the lid closed.

A represents the front of a trunk or box; B, the bottom; C, the back; D, the'hinge; E, the lid.

H represents a metallic housing or guide; I, a slot cut through the same; J, a notch into which the keeper or pin falls to hold the trunk o en.

p'K represents a curved brace-arm, which is pivoted to the end L of the trunk-frame by pivot-bolt M.

N represents a washer upon the pivot M to prevent frictional contact of the brace with the end of the trunk.

O represents a keeper or pin secured to the outer and upper end of the brace-arm K. The barrel of the pin travels in the slot I. It is provided with a head, P, which prevents it from slipping out of the slot I. When the trunk-lid is raised, the keeper O falls into the notch J and locks the lid open. When it is desired to close the lid, the brace K is pulled downward tobring the pin O out of the notch J, and as the lid is pulled down the `keeper travels forward in the slot I, folding or traveling in the space H, occupying the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The brace-arm K can be made straight, but it will not accomplish as good results, as it will rest or travel forward partially in the space of the trunk, instead of lying chiefly within the lid-space, and is liable to be caught in the act of closing the trunk.

I have shown and described this improvenient as applied toA trunks or boxes; but it is obvious that it can be applied to various otherarticles.

I do not claim, broadly, a slotted plate notched at the end of the slot and combined` with a hinged arm provided with a pin sliding in said slot, as it has ybeen proposed to apply such a device to the *outside of a trunk. My invention diers therefrom in the construction and arrangement of-parts pointed out in the following claim.

rIhe combination of the curved bracearm K, having a pin, O, and head `P at its upper end, and the bearing-block N and pivot M for supporting the lower end of said brace-arm, and the slotted guide H, having notch J, and adapted to receive and guide the pin and head of the brace-arm, with the body L and the lid E, respectively, carrying the bracearm and slotted guide at the inner sides of their end walls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHAs. P. HOWELL.

Vtnesses:

J. S. ROEEUCK, Jr., E. E. WOOD. 

